Insomnia and its connection with mental health

Radha Ganekar, Psychologist IWill

 

What is Insomnia?

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder. Maintaining sleep is the most common single symptom of insomnia, followed by difficulty falling asleep or a combination of these symptoms.

Insomnia causes difficulty in initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep with frequent awakening and problems returning to sleep after awakening, or waking up too early with inability to return to sleep. 

The condition may also come and go. The condition can be short time which can last from one night to a few weeks or long time which can last from at least three nights a week for three months or more.

Insomnia can occur at different times of the sleep period.

Sleep onset insomnia/ initial insomnia: Difficulty initiating sleep at bedtime.

Sleep maintenance insomnia/ middle insomnia: Trouble staying asleep through the night

Late insomnia: Involves waking up too early and difficulty in returning to sleep.

Nonrestorative sleep: refers to the subjective experience of sleep as insufficiently refreshing, often despite the appearance of normal sleep according to traditionally assessed objective parameters.

 

How and when is it related to mental health issues?

If insomnia makes it hard for you to function during the day, seek professional help to identify the cause of your sleep problem and how it can be treated.

Insomnia can be stress induced, chemical induced, medical condition induced, due to environmental factors like noise, light , uncomfortably high or low temperatures or it can be genetic. Persistent insomnia may even be a risk for depression, anxiety disorder. It can also make

 

Impact of insomnia

Insomnia can cause significant distress in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning. It causes fatigue or, less commonly, daytime sleepiness. It can cause significant impairment in cognitive performance which can include difficulties with attention, concentration and memory, and even performing with simple manual skills. Insomnia may cause irritability or mood changes. In a few cases it may cause depressive or anxiety symptoms.

Insomnia can cause long term illness, mental health issues. Insomnia can cause high blood pressure, obesity, and slow reaction time.

 

What therapies help for insomnia?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can really help if insomnia is worsened or happening because of mental health and emotional health issues. 

 

If insomnia is caused due to melatonin imbalance then doctors prescribe melatonin supplements.

Difficulty in falling asleep can be quantified by an individual's retrospective self report, sleep diaries, or caretaker’s report.

Mindfulness techniques, Tibetan bowl technique along with eastern therapies can help overcome Insomnia.

Regular exercise, going to bed on time, mindful eating and eliminating disturbing environmental factors avoiding caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. 

 

If Insomnia is stress induced, seeking  therapy and counseling to work in step by manner is one of the best and sometimes the only strongly effective way.

Seek therapy at IWill, if you are dealing with Insomnia or other problems too.